My Stories: Personal Writing

Hard Work Begets Success
by
Vasudev Seeram

WRITE A SHORT STORY SHOWING HOW DETERMINATION AND HARD WORK OVERCAME DIFFICULTIES AND BROUGHT SUCCESS.

This story is about how determination and hard work overcame difficulties and brought success for a young lad named Mavin Manic. He was from a poor background and his parents could not afford to send him to a college.

It was about 4:30 PM and Mavin Manic had just finished cutting grass for his three goats and was returning to his home with the bundle on his head. He was glancing here and there but his mind was on one thing, the homework which he to complete for tomorrow morning. He hastened towards the goats' pens close to the house and discharged the bundle of grass into the pen. He stood watching the goats voraciously eat the grass, a look of satisfaction on their faces. He secretly wished that he felt this contentment for he was almost never given an adequate amount of food to eat and so now was very scrawny.

Mavin now hastened towards the house and immediately started doing his lesson. He was in Upper Six and the A Levels Examination was nearing. The pressure was mounting hence the reason why he was given a lot of homework. He decided that he would have go across to Limn Ping's Restaurant and Bar after sundown, which was only a half mile away, and do his homework there for the pitch oil lamps were running low on fuel and the flambeau were giving out too much smoke. Too bad if the rains came for there might be a flash flood, the depth ranging from ten cm. to about two m. If he was lucky, he would only have to walk through the water slowly to cross. But if he wasn't, he would have to swim through. He was very lucky that night for there was only a slight drizzle. That night, he completed his homework at around 11 o'clock and briskly walked home. This took about thirty minutes. When he arrived, he ate any leftover food that was on the stand and then went to sleep in his sleeping bag thinking of school tomorrow.

Time quickly passed and the day of the 'big exam' was here. Mavin awoke early that morning and quickly did his daily chores which included tying out the goats and cleaning out their pens. He finished his chores at about five o'clock and went down to the river armed with his milk pan and rubbing stone to take a bath. At this time, the water was, to some extent, cold but this did not mind Mavin as he was accustomed to bathing in much colder water. After his wholesome bath, he then hastened back home to change into his uniform. He then set off for school. Since his school was so far, he had to hop on a taxi to go to the city. He left school at about six o'clock.

When they arrived, the exam was about to start and so he rapidly paced to the exam room. On entrance, he was shown his seat to which he proceeded. Soon the exam started. Mavin found the exam easier than he expected. He comfortably did out the exam in three quarters of the time given and spent the rest of the time checking over his work. It was a long hot day. When he returned home that day, he was at ease as the exam was completed but a little worried about the exam. But his mind was soon off it.

Mavin was very happy that this test was over. The pressure had ceased and now he was free to do whatever he wished. He had a lot of spare time now and he had a lot of plans for the holidays. He would go hunting, fishing, climbing and exploring, and a whole lot more.

Soon the results of the exam arrived. Mavin was very anxious to see how he had done in the exam. He had very high hopes for obtaining a scholarship whether it was an open or an additional scholarship. The results were published in the papers that morning. The country was speechless when the following headline was issued, "STUDENT FROM RIO CLARO WIN PRESIDENT'S GOLD." and the subsequent article went into the details of this incredible accomplishment about how much sacrifices he made to achieve this. He started to wonder how did they obtain this information, but he noticed at the bottom of the article that these facts were attained from his principal. He was paralyzed. Never in his life had he felt so overjoyed and cheerful. He was ecstatic, tears came to his eyes, they twinkled and he display his yellow teeth with pride. Suddenly recovering from the shock, he leaped two meters into the air and yelled a loud "Hurrah!"

Now Mavin attends a Oxford University in London. He is still as studious as he was in his younger days and is very glad for this opportunity to acquire knowledge. The moral of this true story is no matter how difficult something is, through hard work and determination, it is achievable. Once one sets one's mind to do something as Mavin did in this story, one can accomplish anything.